Track-sanding apparatus.



7 Patented Aug. I, I899. .L. A. HOERR. TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

(Application maxim 2a, 1899.

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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"0.629357. Patented Aug. 1., I899.

L. A. HOERR.

TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

{pplication filed Jan. 23, 1899.) (No Mudel.)' a Sheets-61mg! 2.

Palented Aug. I, 1899. L. A. HUERR.

TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

(No Madel.)

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UNITED v STATES PATENT Orricn.

LOUIS A. HOERR, on ST. Louis, MISSOURI.

TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,857, dated August1, 1899. a Applicatiomfiled January 23,1399. serial no. 703,136. onmodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. HOERR, a citi-. zen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Track- Sanding Apparatus, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view illustratingmyirnproved;

sanding apparatus in position on a locomotive. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view of the sand-box, showing my improved apparatus inposition therein. Fig. 3 is a partial sectional View of the sand-box,taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a top plan view of a castingthrough which compressed air is introduced to siphon the sand out of thesand-box in opposite directions. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of saidcasting. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 7 isan end elevational view showing the mannerof coupling a pair of saidcastings together. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of said casting.Fig. 9 is an end elevational view of the same. Fig; lOis a top plan viewof the engineers valve for controlling the pressure through the siphon..Fig.- 11 is a vertical sectional View through said engineers valve.Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view through said valve on line 12 12 ofFig. 11. Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a short section ofpipe used in connection with my improved siphon, the walls of which pipeare thickened for the purpose of lengthening the life of the same. Fig.14 is an end elevational view of said pipe. Fig. 15 is a sectional viewthrough the bottom portion of the sand-box, wherein a cone is presentfor deliv erin g the sand to the ordinary valve-controlled sand-deliverypipes,showin g myimprovement in the form a divided casting with asuitable connection between. Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the same,representing the manner of delivering sand to the front and backdrivers;

and Fig..l7 is a longitudinalsectional View showing said divided castingand the manner of connecting the two for the purpose of deliveringair-blasts in opposite directions in each.

This invention relates to a new and'useful improvement in traclesandin gdevices for rail way-locomotives, the object being to provide a deviceof the character describedwhich will be simple and effective and onewhich is within immediate control of the engineer.

The invention consists in details of construction and arrangement of theseveral parts comprising my apparatus, all as will hereinafter bedescribed and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates the sand-box, of usual construction, inwhich the dry sand to be delivered to the rails'is placed.

13 indicates a sand-delivery pipe, whose end terminates above the rail,said pipe entering into the lower portion of the sand-box.

0 indicates a sand-delivery pipe, which I will call the rear?delivery-pipe, whose end terminates above the rail and which pipe entersintothe lower portion of the sand-box. These pipes B and (J areduplicated on each side of the boxand lead to each rail to deliver sandto both rails, so that the engine will be enabled to grip the railswhile going in either direction. I v

I D indicates a casting, which is shown more clearly in Figs. 4 to 9,said castingforming practically a coupling, to eachend of which one ofthe pipes B or G is connected. In practice there are two ofthesecastings for the pipes B and O, and as each is practically aduplicate of the other I will describe but one. This casting D consistsof a body portion formed with a nipple or threaded boss, preferably onits upper side, to which is connected a pressure-supply pipe E. The endsof the casting are suitably threaded to receive short sections of pipeF, whose walls are thickened for the purpose of lengthening the lifethereof, as the active sand immediately unpipes C are carried backbehind the rear drivcrs, so as to deliver sand therebetwcen and therails on each side.

To return to the description of the casting *D, the casting is formedwith two concavothe bridge-wall or hood D of the casting is a centralpartition D, which in transverse section is substantiallydiamond-shaped, as shown in Fig. 5. This leaves sufficient clearancebetween this central partition and the curtain-walls on each sidethereof for the admission of sand within the casting and also affordssufficient body of metal to enable the boring of the blast-holes to besufficiently long to give a definite direction to the blast of air whichis introduced into the casting at right angles to these blast-openings.The blast-openings are designated as d and open in opposite directions,preferably axially in line with the bore of the sections of pipe F,while pressure from the pipe E supplies compressed air to theseblast-openings through an opening 61 in the casting, as shown in Fig. 6.

In order to hold the castings together, there being usually two in thesand-box, one for the front and the other for the rear sand-deliverypipes, I preferably project a stem c '"from the central partition, whichreceives a connecting-piece G, the lower extremities of said stems beingthreaded to clamp said cross connecting-pieces in place and firmly holdthe castings together. The object of this is to prevent the castingsfrom turning when the several pipes with which they cooperate and whichhave threaded connections are being screwed into place. A pair of thesecastings D being coupled together, as shown in Fig. 7, a pipe E leadsfrom one of themsay the one designed to deliver sand to the frontsanddelivery pipesand a pipe E leads from the other of said castings orthat one designed to deliver sand to the rear sand-delivery pipes. Thesetwo pipes E and E extend rearwardly into the cab of the engine andconnect to a valve-casing H at differentpoints circu mferentially, asshown in Fig. 12. Into the bottom of this valve-casing I-I leads a pipefrom some suitable source of air-supply-say from the main reservoir ofthe air-brake system this movement.

of sand being supplied to the rails through either the front or the backsand-delivery pipes, I prefer to form a notched segment on the casing H,with which cooperates a springpressed pin it in the handle H. Theoperation'of this valve, it is believed, will be thoroughly understoodfrom the foregoing description.

I am aware that there is in use a sander in which a coupling has twobranches so arranged in the sand-box-each of said branches receivingair-pressure-that a blast of air is delivered in opposite directions ineither or both at willtosupplyairto eitheror both thefront and backdrivers. In this construction the opening in the wall of the castingthrough which the sand is admitted to be forcibly ejected into andthrough the sand-delivery pipes is located practically in the bottom ofthe casting, or, more strictly speaking, to one side of the bottom, thelength of this opening being coincident with the length of the doublenozzle which projects air in opposite directions out through the ends ofthe casting. By having this opening continuous from experiments Ihavemade with this sanding device it is my judgment that theoppositely-directed blasts with continuous pipe counteract each other,with the result that little or no benefit is gained, in that the sand,being porous, will admit air to the casting and the counteracting blastswill have no definite or positive cifect on sand located approximatelymidway the length of the double nozzle, from which point the effect ofthese oppositely-directed sand-blasts on the sand gradually increasesuntil the ends of the nozzle are reached, at which points the blastshave their greatest effect. Again, if one nozzle is choked the other ispractically inoperative in drawing air through the continuous pipe,which is open at both ends to the atmosphere. Under full pressure by theuse of the construction above described about four pounds of sand willbe delivered through the pipes per minute.

By the use of the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, it willbe noticed that the concave-convex curtain-walls with a space betweenpermitalarge volume of sand togct within the hollow portion of thecasting while there is no pressure passing through the nozzles and thatwhen pressure passes through the nozzles it is oppositely directed fromeach side of a partition-wall which extends clear across the opening orspace between the curtain-walls. This blast taken on either side notonly affects the sand located thereunder,

but sand being permitted to enter the hollow casting from the sides andbottom will likewise be forced outwardly,the diamond-shaped partitionreadily accommodating the sand in There being no continuouspipe-opening, the blasts of air cannot counteract nor modify each other,and if one blast is closed or choked the other will operateindependently. Each delivery-pipe is independ- IIO cut, having one endopen to the atmosphere and the other opening into a bell-shaped chamberat one side of the partition-wall.

By actual experiment I have been able to eject about eight pounds ofsand per minute by the use of my invention.

In Figs. to 17 I have shown a construction wherein the casting isdivided practically about midway its central partition-wall, so that asiphon is located at each side of the sand-box. These partition-wallsare bored with the blast-openings, as usual, and a pipe D used toconnect the two openings together and also secure the castings inposition. By this means a single supply-pipe is necessary to furnish airto .both castings. The operation of the construction shown inFigs. 15 to17 is the same as that ascribed to the device illustrated on Sheets 1and 2 of the drawings; but the divided casting shown on Sheet 3 issusceptible, as shown in Fig. 15, of beiuglocated on each side of theconically-shaped bottom of the sand-box, and if it is desired to locatethe divided castings lower in the box their connecting'pipes D can bebent over the comically-shaped bottom, as is obvious.

It will be noted that the construction of the hollow conical-shapedplug-valve, which I have termed the engineers valve, is such that thepressure constantly holds it to its seat, and the operation ofmanipulating the valve will so grind it that a perfect fit is insured atall times.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a sanding device,tl1e combination'with a sand-box, ofdelivery-pipes for the sand enterin g into the lower portion of saidbox, the outer ends of said pipe being located in juxtaposition to therails, and a casting interposed between the ends of said delivery-pipeswithin the sand-box, said casting consisting of a body portion providedwith curtain-walls depending from the ends thereof,said curtainwallsbeing separated some distance apart to leave lateral and bottom spacestherebetween, a depending central partition-wall located intermediatesaid curtain-walls, and air-ducts formed through said central partitionfor forcing the sand within the lines of the cur tain-walls into andthrough the deliverypipes; substantially as described.

2. In asandingdevice,the combination with a sand-box, of delivery-pipesfor the sand entering into the lower portion of said box, the outer endsof said pipe being located in juxtaposition to the rails, and a castinginterposed between the ends of said delivery-pipes within the sand-box,said casting consisting of a body portion provided with curtain-wallsdepending from the ends thereof, said curtain walls being separated somedistance apart to leave lateral and bottom spaces there between adepending-central partition-wall located intermediate saidcurtain-walls, airduets formed through said central partition forforcing the sand within the lines of the curtain-walls into and throughthe deliverypipes, a valve for admitting and shutting off pressure toand from said air-ducts, said valve being located within the cab of theengine, and suitable pipe connections between said valve and saidcasting; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a sand-box, of front and back delivery-pipeswhich enter the lower portion of said box, castings to which saiddelivery-pipes are connected, a connection G between said castings,curtain-walls depending from said castings, central partitionsintermediate said curtain-walls, nozzleopenings formed in said centralpartitions and terminatingat the faces of said partitions,pressure-supply pipes leading to said nozzleopenings, and a valve forcontrolling pressure through said pipes; substantially as described.

al. The combination with a sand-box, of front and back delivery-pipeswhich enter into the lower portion of said box, castings intermediatethe ends of said delivery-pipes, said castings consistingrespectively,ofa body portionhaving curtain-walls depending from the ends thereof,which. walls are separated some distance apart to leave lateral and bottom spaces therebet-ween, a depending partition-wall locatedintermediate said curtainwalls, which partition-wall is formedwith athickened middle portion and provided with air-passages, pipes leadingto said castingand communicating with the air-passages in theirrespective-central partition, and means for regulating the pressure insaid pipes; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a sand-box, of front and back delivery-pipeswhich enter into the lower portion of said box, castings intermediatethe ends of said delivery-pipes, said castings consisting respectively,of a body portion having curtain-walls depending from the ends thereof,which walls are separated some distance apart to leave lateral andbottom spaces therebetween, a depending partition-wall locatedintermediate said curtainwalls, which partition-wall is formed with athickened middle portion and provided with air-passages, pipes leadingto said casting and communicating with the air-passages in theirrespective central partitions, means for regulating the pressure in saidpipes, said means consisting of a valve comprising a suitable casingformed with a notched segment, a hollow plug-valve in said casing whichis seated by pressure, a handle for operating said valve, andaspring-pressed pin on the handle for cooperating With theinotches onsaid segment for determining the registration of the ports of the valvewith the ports in the valve-casing; substantially as described.

6. The herein-described casting'eonsisting of a body portion threaded ateach end, curtain-walls depending from said casting near the endsthereof, a partition-wall which is diamond-shaped in cross-section, saidpartitionwall being intermediate said curtain-walls, nozzle-openings insaid partition-Wall, which nozzle-openings terminate at the faces of thethickest portion of said partition-wall, a bore with which said nozzleopenings connect, means on said casting for the attachment of apressure-supply pipe through said bore, and a pressure-supply pipe;substantially as described.

7. The herein-described casting,comprising a body portion D, havingcurtain-walls D, depending therefrom, and near each end thereof, saidcurtain-walls being separated some distance apart to leave lateral andbottom spaces therebetween, a depending partitionwall locatedintermediate said curtain-Walls,

which partition-wall is diamond-shaped in cross-section, saidpartition-wall being provided with air-passages; substantially asdescribed. I

8. In a sandin g. apparatus, the combination with a pair of castings,each comprising a body portion, from which depend curtainwalls andintermediate partition-walls, said partition-walls being formed withair-passages, and a cross connecting-piece arranged on the lower ends ofsaid partition-walls substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 18th day of January, 1899.

LOUIS A. HOERR.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, WM. II. SCOTT.

